Year in review: Reilly’s 10 favorite races of 2025

As the calendar year draws to a close, it’s time to reflect on my favorite races of 2025. 

But first, I must slap on the obligatory warning label that these are somewhat idiosyncratic. It’s not a thorough catalog featuring all the year’s best horses – you’ll want to see my colleague Alastair Bull for that “Top 10” list – so don’t read anything into the omissions of several superstars and the likely U.S. Horse of the Year.

Instead, this personal retrospective is more about the races that endure in my memory, for reasons of circumstance or sentiment. That makes the exercise less predictable, although there are still a couple of obvious choices that would be on just about every racing fan’s list. 

Far be it from me to try to rank these! We’ll proceed in chronological order instead. 

Saudi Cup (G1)

The world’s richest race dangles a $20 million purse, but from the perspective of racing history, the showdown between Japanese dirt supremo Forever Young and Hong Kong turf legend Romantic Warrior was priceless. 

Each displayed his quintessential virtue in their clash at Riyadh, the rapier-like thrust of Romantic Warrior’s acceleration countered by the grinding style of Forever Young. In the war of attrition on dirt, the brute strength of the gladiator outlasted the finesse of the swordsman. 

The result took on added resonance later in the season, when both returned to peak form in championship events. Forever Young made history for Japan in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1), and Romantic Warrior padded his world-record bankroll with an unprecedented four-timer in the Hong Kong Cup (G1). 

Manhattan (G1)

The Manhattan (G1) marked a poignant passing of the torch from the late Christophe Clement to his son, Miguel. Christophe’s last two graded victories came courtesy of Deterministic, in the May 3 Fort Marcy (G2), and Far Bridge, in the May 10 Man o’ War (G2). It was fitting that the same top-class turf performers would pick up the baton for Miguel, who officially took charge of the barn after the loss of his father in late May. 

Next seen squaring off in the June 8 Manhattan, Deterministic valiantly held on by a head, with Far Bridge another neck away in a fast-closing third. Even if runner-up Integration spoiled hopes of an all-Clement exacta, Miguel was scoring a poignant first stakes win in his own name. 

Personal Ensign (G1)

Reigning Horse of the Year Thorpedo Anna earned a Pyrrhic victory in the Personal Ensign (G1), where she gave everything she had to stave off Dorth Vader. Between Thorpedo Anna’s proximity to a strong pace and her early move, the race shape favored an enterprising closer. Enter Dorth Vader as the aptly-named villain of the piece.

But Thorpedo Anna lived up to her “Grizzly” nickname, and because of her willpower, Saratoga did not live up to its nickname as the “graveyard of champions.” The race exacted a fearsome toll: Thorpedo Anna was a shadow of herself in her only ensuing start before retirement, but her legacy was already assured. 

St Leger (G1)

The world’s oldest classic witnessed a supreme display of courage from Scandinavia. Always forwardly placed tracking dual Derby (G1)-winning stablemate Lambourn, he pounced early in the straight at Doncaster, saw off stiff challenges, and somehow found enough to repel the fresh legs of Rahiebb. 

Yet the sire angle added to the whole spectacle. Scandinavia, a son of U.S. Triple Crown champion Justify, gave his sire a sweep of the three classics constituting the English Triple Crown. Justify was responsible for the 2024 Derby hero, City of Troy, and this year’s 2000 Guineas (G1) winner, Ruling Court. But the extended 1 3/4 miles of the St Leger is an entirely different test, and Scandinavia elevated Justify’s historic profile at stud.

The other part of the story was Scandinavia’s broodmare sire, the great Galileo, whose influence loomed large throughout the St Leger field. He even managed to sire third-placer Stay True from his tiny final crop of 2022, foaled posthumously. For a few strides, Stay True threatened to add one more classic to Galileo’s ledger, but he couldn’t quite pull it off.

Lukas Classic (G2)

With the passing of Hall of Famer D. Wayne Lukas in late June, his commemorative race during the September meet at Churchill Downs promised to be poignant. It also turned out to be the last hurrah for Mystik Dan, back at the scene of his career-defining 2024 Kentucky Derby win. 

While Brian Hernandez Jr. engineered his rail-skimming coup in the Derby and again cut the corner at Churchill to capture the May 31 Blame (G3), Mystik Dan did not have his regular pilot aboard for the Lukas Classic. Hernandez was sidelined by injury, and Francisco Arrieta picked up the mount aboard the favorite. 

Turning for home, Arrieta came off the fence, and Mystik Dan got strung up in traffic. But he muscled his way through a seam, found his beloved rail after all, and won going away. 

Prix de la Foret (G1)

Daryz’s late rally in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (G1) was both historic and poignant for the Aga Khan Studs family, but the Prix de la Foret (G1) on the undercard was my happiest result. As a longtime fan of the brilliant Maranoa Charlie, I had been waiting for him to earn the Group 1 laurel that his talent deserved. It finally came together for him in the waning light of Arc weekend. 

Showing his high cruising speed throughout, Maranoa Charlie broke the race open midway down the stretch and held sway comfortably. Christopher Head routinely lauded him as the best horse he’s ever trained, but we won’t have the chance to see him develop further on the racecourse. Stud duty beckons for the commercially attractive son of the late Wootton Bassett.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1)

Only time will tell if Balantina pans out as an above-average winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1), but she owes me nothing after coming through as my top pick in the TwinSpires.com Betting Guide at 20-1.

It’s not like me to be that bold about a longshot in the picks grid, although my Breeders’ Cup International Scouting Report for Brisnet.com does offer exhaustive information on dark horses. I’m more comfortable discussing strengths, weaknesses, and possibilities than going too far out on a limb. The pedigree hints and form clues analyzed in Balantina’s scouting report, concluding with her “upset potential,” came to fruition at Del Mar.

Jockey Club Sprint (G2)

Sprint phenom Ka Ying Rising has won so many majors during his 16-race spree that they tend to merge indistinguishably in my mind. But the Jockey Club Sprint (G2), a mere prep at Sha Tin, lingers because of its particular circumstances. In his first start back home after scaling the Everest (G1) in Australia, Ka Ying Rising might have been expected to take it easy ahead of his next main aim, a title defense in the Hong Kong Sprint (G1). 

He did no such thing. On the contrary, Ka Ying Rising looked even more of a beast than he did at Randwick. The Jockey Club Sprint neatly sums up his effortless speed and sheer arrogance. He would have smashed his own course record if regular rider Zac Purton had let him, but discretion prevailed, and he ambled across the line to save something for the big day ahead. 

Japan Cup (G1)

Currently atop the Longines World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, Calandagan likewise has quite a highlight reel to his credit. His Japan Cup (G1) has the recency edge over his historic British double in the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth (G1) and Champion (G1). Still, chances are that it will remain uppermost in the memory. 

Calandagan ended 20 years of European frustration in Tokyo, in record time, in a climactic finish that included a riderless horse. In the years to come, we’ll probably be saying, “no international shipper has won the Japan Cup since Calandagan in that wild 2025 edition.” 

Laffit Pincay Jr. (G2)

Nysos was always going to make an appearance here in some capacity. Initially, I was going to feature a superb renewal of the Churchill Downs (G1), where comebacker Nysos was just foiled by Mindframe in a cavalry charge. Or was I being stubborn to overlook Nysos’ last-gasp nod in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1)?

On Sunday’s banner opening day at Santa Anita, Nysos supplied yet another option for a stretch battle: his implacable performance in the Laffit Pincay Jr. (G2). In an eyeball-to-eyeball, shoulder-to-shoulder struggle with stablemate Nevada Beach, Nysos lowered the 85-year-old stakes record set by Seabiscuit in 1940. 

If the freshness of this impression unduly influences me, the Pincay may serve as a portent for 2026, possibly for the Saudi Cup itself. So we come full circle to where we began, while looking ahead to the future.